October 13-17, 2025

The Course on Retail Payments, Innovations in Money and Central Bank Digital Currencies, jointly organized by the SEACEN Centre and the CICDC and hosted by the People’s Bank of China, took place from 13 to 17 October 2025 in Shanghai, China. It gathered 40 participants from 16 SEACEN member central banks across the regions.

The course was led by Vacharakoon Jivakanont from the SEACEN Centre, Jeanne Verrier and André Reslow from the IMF Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), and was joined by guest speakers from the Bank of Thailand, the Digital Currency Forum in Japan, the Digital Currency Institute at the PBC, the SEACEN Centre, and the IMF. Jin Penghui, Director of the People’s Bank of China (PBC) Shanghai Head Office, and Cynyoung Park, Executive Director of the SEACEN Centre, participated in the course and addressed the participants during the opening session.

Panel discussion moderated by Cynyoung Park, Executive Director of the SEACEN Centre, and participated by Pucktada Treeratpituk, Director of Payment System Policy and Financial Technology of the Bank of Thailand, and Hiromi Yamaoka, Chairperson of the Digital Currency Forum in Japan

The course provided an in-depth understanding of retail payments, covering the transition from cash to digital payments and to innovations in money such as CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits. Participants exchanged insights on policy, oversight, and implementation, with valuable lessons drawn from China, Japan, and Thailand through active discussions and Q&A sessions. The course also engaged participants in a field visit to Alipay, where they were introduced to the advancements of digital payment in China and their applications in life scenarios.

Mu Changchun, Director of the Digital Currency Institute at the People’s Bank of China, delivered a guest lecture on e-CNY and the journey of CBDC in China

Group discussion

Field visit to Alipay